A Community on the Brink: Water Scarcity in Rural Oaxaca

In the village of El Carmen, near Zaachila, in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, the community has seen its natural water sources dry up over the past two decades. In response, different groups have banded together to come up with their own solutions. These involve identifying where rain water pools, and trying to retrieve it or at least slow its absorption into the sandy soil. This month I had the opportunity to capture images of the efforts of one of these groups, which has received some support from a foundation helping raise funds for the cisterns they need to capture water when it falls. 

This group also raises amaranth to sell, and meets each Sunday to contribute the small amounts each is able which is to go towards the purchase of cisterns. 

Please contact me if you would like to learn more about this project.